SAG Contact Videos Blossom Ahead of Vote

According to The Hollywood Reporter's Risky Biz blog, the assortment of yes and no videos centering on the upcoming Screen Actor's Guild contract vote have blossomed--and the claws are getting sharper on both sides.

In an assessment of the videos' impact, THR reporter Jay Fernandez notes that while many of the 'vote no' videos feature A-list talent--see Martin Sheen, Scott Bakula and Ed Harris--many of the clips are, well, understated.

The Sheen clip, featuring "The West Wing" star sitting behind a desk--a la his character Josiah Bartlett--and several cutaway shots of actors pleading voters to vote against the deal, attempts to appeal to SAG member's wallets.

"I'll just say this to you." Sheen quipped. You are free to vote for this deal if it's okay with you if you think Sony, MGM, Paramount etc. are free to make TV shows non-union. Without full union credits, our losses will be huge."

Using the catch phrase 'Think about it. I'll get back to you." Sheen segues the clip into personal appeals by a bevy of actors, including Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura in "Star Trek: The Original Series". Yet according to Hernandez, the cutaways from Sheen and back sacrifices brevity for star appeal, becoming, in his words, an imitation Michael Jackson's "Beat It" video.

Sheen's appeal is countered by another "West Wing" star--Kathy Joosen, AKA Delores Landingham. In a scathing rebuttal, Joosen sets Sheen on some pertinent facts--including a not so obscure sunset clause in the 42-page contract.

"Recent surveys have shown that only 8 percent of the population is watching anything on the Internet." Joosen shot back. "And non-union does not mean non-paid. The producers will have problem finding staff because the directors, makeup, etc. are not supposed to work non-union."

Joosen also pointed out the transparency clause of the contract--i.e., SAG members will be allowed to see the studio's books, unprecedented in SAG history. The transparency clause has been one of the more controversial issues in the fight between the opposing sides of the contract dispute.

Amid the din, "Angels and Demons" star Tom Hanks cut through the emotional arguments and made a brief--but concise--case for the yes side. In a 1:45 second video, Hanks was frank, leveling with SAG members about the challenges, both economic and technological, the industry faces.

"Our business is not immune to the turmoil the world is going through." He said. "No one has the powers of clairvoyance. The business of entertainment is going through a revolution. In two years our industry--and the world--will be in a different state than the place that is in today. Don't follow anyone's suggestion regarding this contract. Study the facts and get satisfaction from your answers. That's what I did, and I voted yes."

Ballots for the over 110,000 actors represented by SAG are due Tuesday.